Controlling-lever lock.



E. L. McMANUS 1R. & c. A. SCHULTZ, JR-

CONTROLLING LEVER LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED 05c. 13, I916.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

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EDWARD LOUIS MCMANUS, an, AND CHARLES AUGUST SCHULTZ, an, or NEW YORK, 1v. Y. r

CONTROLLING-LEVER LOCK.

Application filed December 13, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDW RD Louis Mo- MaxUs, J12, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, and CHARLES AUGUST SCHULTZ, J12, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Richmond, city of New York, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented new and Improved Controlling-Lever Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to locking means-for controlling levers, and has reference more particularly to locking means for controlling levers of electric motors for vehicles.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, easily operable and inexpensive lock for a controlling lever whereby the lever may be locked in a neutral position when the vehicle is at rest.

Viith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as" the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a controlling lever provided with an embodiment of our invention; v

Fig. 2 is a vertical section in line 22, Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 33, Fig. 2; and

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view showing the position of the look when the lever is to be operated.

Referring to the drawings, 5 is the con trolling lever which is mounted to oscillate in a housing 6 in which proper slots 7 are provided for the lever 5. The housing has a transverse notch or cut-out 8 which joins the slots 7 and by means of which cut-out the lever may be shifted from one slot to the other. This notch also serves as a seat for the lower end of a slide 9 mounted on the lever 5. The slide, when registering with the notch, drops thereinto by gravity and thereby prevents the movement of the lever.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

Serial No. 136,708.

It is therefore necessary to raise the slide from; the notch before the lever 5 can be shifted, The slide 9 has a tubular lateral pro]eet 1on 10 in which a spring-actuated plunger 11 is provided. The lever 5 has an aperture 12 with which the plunger comes into register when the housing drops into the notch 8. The spring-actuated plunger 11, therefore, engages the aperture and thereby locks the slide 9 to the lever 5.

The tubular projection ,10 has slots 13 throughwhich projects a pin 14: carried by the plunger. The pin 1a is secured to a socket 15 which houses the tubular projection. By means of that socket the plunger can be withdrawn from the aperture 12 and thereby the slide disengaged from the lever. To facilitate the manipulation of the socket, bosses 16 are provided thereon. When the socket is pulled and the plunger is disengaged from the lever the slide may be raised to disengage the lower end thereof from the notch 8, thereby permitting the movement of the lever 5.

It will be noted that the plunger, projection and socket are located in close proximity to the handle 17 of the manipulating lever, so that with the fingers of one hand the slides can be unlocked from the lever and the lever operated. After the slide has been raised the lever can be moved to the desired position, as the slide will be supported by the flanged top of the housing 6.

To lock the lateral movement of the lever, in addition to the longitudinal locking movement thereof, by the slide 9, a tooth 18 is provided near the lower end of the slide. This tooth extends below the lower end of the slide and will engage the outer side of the housing 6 when the lever is locked in a position alining with the shorter slot 7 of the housing. l/Vhen the lever is locked in a position alining with the longer slot 7, the said tooth will lie against the inside of the same wall which it engaged on the outside, thereby preventing a lateral movement of the lever. Y

It will therefore be seen that my mechanism locks the lever not only in its longitudinal but also in its lateral movement. The principal reason for providing such a lock is to prevent children in the street from operating the controlling lever when the vehicle is left unattended. As a rule, they try to push the lever to one side or the other thereby setting the vehicle in motion and causing great damage.

We Claim:

1. In combination, a controlling lever, a housing therefor, said housing having slots wherein the lever is free to move longitudinally, said housing having also a notch joining the slots wherein the lever is free to move laterally, a slide on the lever adapted to engage the notch whereby the lever is prevented. from 'moving longitudinally in the slots, a tooth on the slide for engaging the housing whereby the lever is prevented from moving laterally in the notch, a tubular projection on said slide, a spring-actuated plunger in said tubular projection, said lever having an opening which is adapted to register with the plunger when said slide engages the notch, and a socket connected to the plunger and housing of the projection whereby said plunger may be withdrawn from the opening in the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, a controlling lever, a

housing therefor presenting slots wherein the lever is free to move longitudinally, said housing having a notch or cut-out joining the slots wherein the lever is adapted to move laterally and whereby it may be moved from one slot to the other, a slide on the lever adapted to engage the notch with its lower end under the action of gravity whereby the lever is prevented from moving longitudinally in the slots, a tooth depending from the lower end of the slide for engaging the housing so as to prevent a lateral movement of the lever in the notch or cutout, a lateral, tubular projection on said slide, a spring-actuated plunger in said tubular projection, said lever having an opening with which the plunger is adapted to register when said slide engages the notch, a pin carried by the plunger, said tubular projection having slots for said pin, and a a,

socket housing the projection and connected to the pin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

EDWARD LOUIS MCMANUS, JR. CHARLES AUGUST SCHULTZ, JR.

fiopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

